Study Finds Widespread Vitamin and Mineral Use Among Cancer Survivors, Although Benefits of Such Use Remain Unclear

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Study Finds Widespread Vitamin and Mineral Use Among Cancer Survivors, Although Benefits of Such Use Remain Unclear
    SEATTLE, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Use of vitamin and mineral
supplements among cancer survivors is widespread, despite inconclusive
evidence that such use is beneficial, according to a comprehensive review
of scientific literature conducted by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center and published Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.



    "Can vitamin and herbal supplements reduce the adverse effects of
cancer treatment, decrease the risk of cancer recurrence or improve a
patient's chances of survival? We don't really know. Research into these
matters has been minimal," said senior author Cornelia (Neli) Ulrich,
Ph.D., an associate member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health
Sciences Division. "While supplement use may be beneficial for some
patients, such as those who cannot eat a balanced diet, research suggests
that certain supplements may actually interfere with treatment or even
accelerate cancer growth," she said.



    In reviewing 32 studies conducted between 1999 and 2006, Ulrich and
co-author Christine Velicer, Ph.D., formerly a postdoctoral fellow at the
Hutchinson Center (now an epidemiologist at Merck Research Laboratory in
North Wales, Pa.), found that many of the nation's 10 million adult cancer
survivors use nutritional supplements.



    They found 64 percent to 81 percent of cancer survivors overall
reported using vitamins or minerals (excluding multivitamins), whereas in
the general population only 50 percent of adults reported taking dietary
supplements.



    Survivors of breast cancer reported the highest use (75 percent to 87
percent), whereas prostate-cancer survivors reported the least (26 percent
to 35 percent). Factors associated with the highest level of supplement use
overall included a higher level of education and being female.



    The researchers also found that many people initiate the use of
vitamins and supplements after cancer diagnosis; between 14 percent and 32
percent start taking them after learning they have cancer.



    "Cancer survivors report that they hope to strengthen their immune
system with supplement use or gain a sense of control and empowerment,"
Ulrich said. However, many cancer survivors who use supplements do not let
their doctors know; 31 percent to 68 percent of cancer patients and
survivors who use supplements may not disclose this information or their
doctors may fail to record it in their charts.



    "This is disconcerting and suggests that many physicians may not
recognize the importance of understanding whether their patients are taking
supplements," Ulrich said.



    Knowing about supplement use is crucial, she continues, because of
potential adverse effects. "Evidence clearly suggests the need for
caution," Ulrich said. "Some vitamins, such as folic acid, may be involved
in cancer progression while others, such as St. John's wort, can interfere
with chemotherapy. However, we really need more research to understand
whether use of these supplements can be beneficial or do more harm than
good."



    Until research clarifies the effects of vitamin use in cancer
survivors, the authors urge health care professionals to communicate openly
with their patients about supplement use. "A simple explanation that
medical studies show supplement use may not always be beneficial may help
cancer survivors make well-informed decisions," the authors wrote.



    The National Cancer Institute funded this research. At Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned
scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat
cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel
laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and
hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit
fhcrc.org.





    This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more
information, visit http://www.newswise.com.
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
http://www.fhcrc.org
CONTACT:
Kristen Woodward of the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center , +1-206-667-5095, kwoodwar@fhcrc.org